The principle of driving a wedge into a piece of wood in order to split the wood is well known. This principle has been utilized in numerous existing patents including: U.S. Pat. Nos. 720,010; 3,982,572; 4,033,390; 4,211,264; and 4,391,311. The problem with apparatus built in accordance with the teachings of these existing patents is that the apparatus take up too much room.